Office device.



No. 761,864. PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904. G P WEST OFFICE DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED Barr, 1?. 1903'.

no MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented June '7, 1904.

PATENT ()FFICE.

OFFICE DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,864, dated June '7, 1904.

I Application filed September 17,1903. Serial No. 173,558. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES F. WEST, residing at VVollaston, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Office Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to devices used in ofiices upon tables and desks to hold books of paper, and has especial referenceto a device for supporting a blank-book or several sheets of paper employed by stenographers to take down shorthand at dictation. The books or sheets commonly used by shorthand reporters are stitched together and the pages successively turned over as they are filled with notes and are taken to the typewriter machine and laid thereupon, necessi tating the operator to bend over the same in order to read the matter to be put into writing.

The invention consists of a metal base 'sup-. ported upon legs with rubber tips to rest'upon a table and provided upon its end with means for adjustably supporting a removable paperholder in such a manner that the holder is held in place by spring-pressure and at a suitable angle to enable the writing upon the sheets of paper to be easily read and when read to be turned upward and backward to present a new sheet. The holder'consists of a thin flat board having at each of its upper corners two hollow studs in line witheach other. Each'pair of studs is connected by a yoke of small flexible wire whose ends extend into the studs. The sheets of paper are per forated at their upper corners and are threaded upon the lower studs of each pair and are held in place by the yoke. When the'stenographer is to take down shorthand, the holder is pulled out from the base and kept in the hand, and when the matter is to be type-written the holder is inserted into the base, which may rest upon the machine-desk in any position desired, and when the book is filled with notes it is removed from the holder and the leaves held together by twisting the ends of the flexible wires. l

In the drawings which illustrate the invention, Figure 1 is a front View of the device. Fig. 2 is a side view in partial section on line y g of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line m a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front View of the holder detached from the base. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the book or leaves removed from the holder. Fig. 6 is a representation of the wire yoke. Fig. 7 is a section on line as of Fig. 4.

In the drawings, A represents a metal base having two front legs a a and a rear leg (0 connected to the central portion orface 0 by the extension o. Each leg is provided witha rubber resting-tip s. The part c is of a shieldlike contour, and its face forms an angle with the base-line, as shown. The sides of the part c are cut away, leaving channels a e and a central ridge cl, with abutments g at the lower ends of the channels a e.

h is a plate made of thin spring metal, whose upper and lower central portions are cut out, leaving the spring-fingers 1 1 and 2- 2. This plate is secured by the screw f'to the ridge or rib (Z. This base is made sufficiently heavy to furnish a support for the book-holder B in asubstantial manner. The holder B is made from a thin piece of board, of wood,' or cardboard or metal 4: and has straight sides which terminate in a narrowed lower end having a central slot e" with a tongue 3 oneach side.

m m are hollow metal studs, one above the other, in the upper corners of the holder. They are secured by rivets or screws to the board, and 7a is a yoke of small flexible wire whose ends extend into the studs, as shown in Fig. 2, and are held therein by friction.

C is a book or block of sheets of paper, which may be ruled, as desired, and haveperforations at their upper corners and before the yoke 76 is in place are threaded onto the studs m and then the yoke inserted into the studs.

Fig. t indicates the holder detached from the base and can be carried about when the stenographer is to take notes, the board 4 serving as asolid base for the book or leaves C and may be held in the hand or rested upon a desk or table, and in use 'the leaves are turned over, as represented in dotted lines in Fig. 2. When the notes are to be type-written, the end of the holder B is forced under the spring-clip lb, the tongues 3 3 being forced into the channels a 0 under the fingers 1 1 and 2 2 until the tongues reach the abutments g, and the holder is firmly secured. The pressure of the spring-clip upon the end of the board can be regulated by the screwf. When one side of the leaves of the book C is filled with notes and copied, it may he removed from the board 4 by withdrawing the yoke from the studs and the book reversed to use the opposite sides of the leaves, and when both sides are covered with notes the book may be taken out and the leaves secured, which is done by twisting the ends of the yoke together, as shown in Fig. 5. It is proposed to furnish with each book of leaves two yokes,

which may be used to secure them to the studs and also to tie them together when removed from the holder, and thus serve as a binding.

I am thus enabled to furnish in one device a portable book-holder having a suitable backing to serve as a table for the leaves, which can be attached to and combined with a base, by means of which the book is held at a suitable angle and can be placed in any position to enable a type-writist to easily read the notes from the book-pages.

To assist the operator in copying from a page, a guide D is provided, which is attached to the side of the board L, fiat grooves 7 7 being made on each side of the edge of the board. The guide consists of a spring-clip 6, provided with internal ridges 8 8 opposite each other adapted to enter the grooves 7 7, and from one side of the clip 6 the right-angled arm 5 extends across the page. This guide can be easily snapped on and off the board and when on moved up and down, as will be easily understood.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination in a device for supportinga book of leaves of the character described, of a base portion and a holding portion, the former portion provided with means for detachably supporting the latter portion with spring-pressure at a suitable angle consisting of a clip with flexible fingers, the latter portion consisting of a fiat board and means for hinging the book to the board temporarily, as set forth. v

2. The combination in a device for supporting abook of leaves of the character described, of a base portion and a holding portion, the former portion provided with means for detachabl y supporting the latter portion with adjustable spring-pressure at a suitable angle consisting of a clip with flexible fingers, the latter portion consisting of a flat board, and means for hinging the book to the board temporarily and for securing its leaves to each other when detached from the board, as set forth.

8. The combination in a device for supporting a book of leaves C of the character described, a base portion A provided with a face 0 having channels 0 a central rib (i, and a spring-clip it, with a holder B consisting of a board f having a slot 1' and tongues 3 3 at one end, and hollow studs m m. at its opposite end connected by a yoke 7", the book having perforations 7' through its leaves which are threaded upon the studs m, as set forth.

4.. The combination in a device for supporting a book of leaves G of the character described, of a base portion A provided with a face 0 having channels (3 a, a central ridge (1, and a spring-clip l). with a finger over each channel, with a holder B consisting of a flat board 4: having a central slot 1: and tongues 3 3 at one end, and hollow studs m m at its opposite end connected by a flexible wire yoke is, the book having perforations j through its leaves threaded upon the studs in as set forth.

5. The combination in a device for supporting a book of leaves C, of a comparatively heavy base portion provided with a face (1 having channels 0e, acentral ridge (1, and a. springclip it secured to the face by the screw j" with a finger over each channel, with a. holder B consisting of a flat board L having straight sides and a narrowed end in which is a central slot 71 with tongues 3 3 on each side thereof, of two sets of hollow studs, one above the other, and connected by a flexible wire yoke is, the book having perforations through its leaves adapted to be threaded upon the lower one of each set of studs, as set forth.

6. The combination in a device for supporting a book of leaves C of a base portion A provided with a face 0 having channels I, a central ridge (Z, and a spring-clip it with a linger over each channel, with a. holder B consisting of a flat board 4 having a central slot and tongues 3 3 at one end, and hollow studs 01 m at its opposite end, connected by a flexible yoke 71', the book having perforations j in its leaves adapted to be threaded upon studs 11/. and to be removed therefrom and seen red by the said yoke, as set forth.

7. The combination in a device for supporting a book of leaves G of the character described, of a base portion and a holding portion, the former portion provided with means for detachably supporting the latter portion with an adjustable spring-pressure at a suitable angle consistingof a clip with flexible lingers, the latter portion consisting of a Hat board and means for hinging the book to the board, with a guide adapted to be moved up and down the said board, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two su bscribing witnesses, this 9th day of September, 1903.

CHARLES F. WEST.

\Vitnesses:

(ii-no. WILLIS .Pnanon, Josnru A. GA'rnLv. 

